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Saturday, November 15, 2014

SOMEWHERE STILL RINGING



He believed
with unswerving conviction
that in a world teeming with souls
surely there'd  be one
just tailor made for him
and that when he found her
the one to share it with
his life would begin for real

And yes there were some
who lingered for a time
but they came and went
like blips on a radar screen
another case of mistaken identity

And all he could do
when each ship of love
crashed and burned
was look away from the carnage
(for he was good at looking away)
and turn to face the bright sun of tomorrow
that surely loomed just around the bend

He did this in the spring
He did this in the summer
He did this in the autumn
With the last leaf still clinging
and somewhere still ringing
was the sound of her voice
calling from the hill

And they would rush
to each other
and his life would begin for real
no more holding back
for lack of inspiration
and he would do all the things
he had no penchant for doing
alone

For only with a sense of purpose
does life begin in earnest
and with each passing day
he knows now for sure
that purpose is her
the one who will stay

Come down in time
he whispers
come down in time
for he knows that time
is slipping away...

And he read the other day
nearly seven billion souls
on this bright blue ball of confusion
whirling in space
and he figures some wires
must have got crossed
and some bridges didn't
and he can't help but wonder
why it's still such a lonely lonely world


15 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, Tim, I could have written this exact poem. "One who will stay"......Keep turning your face toward tomorrow, kiddo. There is still time, and some woman is going to be very lucky when she finds you.

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  2. omg, catnip, this is good catnip :) meow.

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  3. Oh, that final stanza is a crusher! So much of our emotional time is spent trying to avoid the loneliness, I believe, and here you show how one can be alone amid the full 7 billion. We should be more grateful for the connections we have, instead of taking people for granted.

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    1. Totally agree, Kerry. We live in a throw-away society.

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  4. Your protagonist stole the story of my life. Living with mental illness, it has been hard for me to connect with other people, and a romantic connection is one that's completely impossible. A beautiful piece, sadly all too true for so many of us, I think.
    http://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2014/11/hungry-for-more.html

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    1. Cara, there are so many people with mental health issues who are in complete denial, running around and getting into relationships, and it's totally unfair to the people they get involved with. Anyone who has recognized and come to terms with their illness, such as yourself, has undoubtedly received some treatment, or been in therapy, etc. Self-awareness is the key to happiness, I think, and you are so much farther along, trust me, than those who live in denial of their problem--many of which, unfortunately ,were a part of my past. .

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  5. some wires
    must have got crossed
    and some bridges didn't... I love that. I'm happy that of all the people in the world I found that one satisfying love - though it took some work on both our parts to finally get there.

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  6. I wonder sometimes if we are at our loneliest in the middle of a crowd.. Coming to terms with that one person is probably the most important.. That satisfaction is a blessing in our world of loneliness.

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  7. The tale you've told is so common, especially the part at the end. It seems like loneliness in the midst of a crowded world has more to do with the soul and fulfillment than it does with knowing other people.

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  8. You know what? Crowds are good for people watching though ... smiles ... Love, cat.

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